


The Unheard Duet

by withershins



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-05-23 22:54:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14942907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/withershins/pseuds/withershins
Summary: Evgeni Malkin didn't have sex with his alpha.  This was old news and far from the most interesting thing about him.





	The Unheard Duet

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Snickfic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snickfic/gifts).



Evgeni Malkin didn't have sex with his alpha.  This was old news and far from the most interesting thing about him.

The unconventional nature of the Crosby-Malkin bond was a scandal worn dull by time, a noted lack of visible drama, and the relentlessly boring inoffensiveness of Sidney Crosby whenever he opened his mouth to talk about it.  Even the most gossip-starved ears could only listen and care so many times when Sid said, "Yeah, for sure, it's not an arrangement you see too often, but it seemed like the best solution on hand at the time, and Geno and I have never had anything to complain about," or some variation thereof.

This was deliberate, of course.  Zhenya's alpha was a shrewder man than most gave him credit for; he knew exactly what he was doing with his bland, interchangeable answers and vague misdirections.  From the day they'd first bonded Sid had calmly managed their image, somehow selling the story of the match—an alpha too young and an omega too powerful, joined together in a strictly platonic bond—and making it all seem like a sensible, respectable decision all around.

It hadn't been a sensible, respectable decision in the least, but even Zhenya forgot that sometimes these days.

"You're going out tonight?" Sid asked from the stall to Zhenya's left, something fond and knowing in his eyes as he bent to unlace his skates.  Zhenya just grinned back, shooting for wolfish but, knowing his face, probably landing closer to goofy.

"That's a yes," Hags hooted from his stall.  "Boys, anyone needs to get laid, go out with G tonight.  Check out that o-glow he's got starting up right now."

"Hey, just 'cause you need magical help to get some doesn't mean the rest of us do," shot back Dumo.  But there was an excited, anticipatory buzz zipping around the room, lifting smiles and loosening shoulders, as everyone started to notice the contented hum of Zhenya's magic.  Zhenya knew that most of the team, even those not interested in getting laid, would be joining him out tonight. It was a straightforward equation. A happy omega equaled happy magic—which, depending on the power of the individual omega, equaled anything from a happy room to a happy city block.  Even now the effects were starting: smiles and laughter grew more frequent in the locker room, feet idly tapped along to the thrum of the sixth-sense energy-song of his magic, and more than one teammate was already leaning subtly in his direction, bodies tilted towards his like sunflowers to the sun.

Only Sid remained unaffected, although an outside observer might not guess from his easy smile and post-win flush.  Alphas alone were immune to the magic omegas carried, cut off from that almost-song the rest of the world could feel.  They could smell magic, like a bunch of weirdo Bloodhounds, but otherwise it didn't touch them. It meant that most alphas were at least a little odd, in Zhenya's experience, just a step out of beat with everyone else.  Zhenya, though he vaguely pitied them, never held it against them. He certainly never held it against Sid.

"You're coming with, right?" he heard Tanger ask from Sid's other side in a lower tone, the two of them sitting knee-to-knee.

"Yeah, probably better," Sid answered.  "Someone's gotta keep an eye on you bunch while you're all doped up on o-glow."

Tanger snorted.  "Yeah, sure—that's the only reason why."

Sid just grinned, the one that was somehow both sly and wholesome, adjusted his ball cap, and said in a to-the-room voice, "Everyone who's coming out tonight, make sure you've got your tags on you, okay?  Don't make me responsible for making sure you don't get in over your heads on anything."

"Don't listen to him," Phil pitched in, cheeks flushed with magically-encouraged good-feeling.  "He loves being made responsible for shit."

Sid laughed and, standing, started unbuckling his hockey pants.  "Maybe not tonight though, eh?"

"Captain's getting laid!" someone to Zhenya's right gleefully announced.  Sid sharpened his smile and didn't refute it. And Zhenya laughed along with everyone else.

 

Evgeni Malkin didn't have sex with his alpha, but he did have sex with other people.  He had sex with other people often, enthusiastically, and with the full knowledge of his admittedly rather odd alpha.

In over a decade of being bonded, Sid had never once shown any sign of jealousy over Zhenya's bed partners.  At first, back when they'd still needed a translator to talk to each other about anything except hockey, that had rankled as much as it had been relieving.  Now, though, Zhenya had to admit that Sid had been right when he'd insisted, at the drafting of their bonding contract, that there just wasn't enough romantic attraction between them to justify forcing themselves into a conventional bond just because it was the 'way things were done'.

"It's already been proven that sex doesn't actually make an alpha-omega bond more effective," Sid, baby-alpha firm with an obviously rehearsed speech, had argued to the overseeing representatives from the Alpha-Omega Center.  "And if we don't need it, shoehorning it in to our relationship will just make us resent each other. And wouldn't that be a lot worse for the bond, in the end?"

Looking back, Zhenya knew it had been the right call.  However intrigued his 19-year-old self had been by the thought of sleeping with Sid, because Sid was cute and good at hockey and Zhenya was a horny teenager, a forced romantic relationship between them would have soured eventually, and who knew if the bond would have lasted through that.  Instead, Zhenya got to be bonded to his best, most trusted friend while still sleeping with whomever he wanted.

Like Trent.

Trent was younger than Zhenya usually preferred these days, but he was confident, attentive, and, most importantly, thick as a fridge.  Broad shoulders, bulging biceps, a plush-lipped smile, pale hair with a bit of wave—Zhenya was definitely more than happy with his current view.  He sipped his beer and eyed the sugary hard cider Trent was nursing now without an ounce of masculine shame. If he was honest, he even dug that about Trent, the self-assurance to drink what he wanted and not care how it looked.

Trent wore his tags around his wrist.  Zhenya, responsibly, had already checked them over.  The guy was single and definitely down for casual sex while under the influence of o-glow, although, judging from a few of the no's listed on his tags, maybe nothing too adventurous or kinky.  That was fine—all Zhenya wanted tonight was a solid fuck, and Trent was _solid_.

Zhenya glanced around, taking stock of the intimate little bar they'd wound up in.  Horny and Tanger and a few of the other marrieds had a table in a corner, where they sat loose-limbed and lazy-eyed from Zhenya's magic but with their tags clearly displayed, listing them as monogamously taken.  Along the bar itself, most of the single kids had found easy, interested company. Zhenya knew it wouldn't be long before they started, one-by-one, heading out into the night, riding the intoxication of o-glow for as long as it lingered outside of Zhenya's range.

And there in the farthest corner was Sid, who had unsurprisingly managed to find the only other alpha in a four-block radius and monopolize him in conversation.  Separated as the two of them were from the rest of the bar, it was more visibly obvious what the were, the way Zhenya's o-glow didn't sway and pulse through them like it did the rest of the street.  They looked to be having a good enough time though. Their bodies were tilted towards each other, heads leaned in close. One of Sid's hands was playing with his drink, and the other was out of sight. Zhenya would have bet money it was currently resting comfortably on the thigh of his new friend, who was exactly Sid's usual type: big and athletic.

Zhenya rolled his eyes fondly and turned his attention back to Trent, who was biting his lip and eyeing Zhenya up and down in a way that was decidedly south of subtle.

"So, straight-up," Trent said, leaning closer, his foot brushing Zhenya's calf.  Zhenya raised an eyebrow and allowed it. "I gotta tell you, I've never been around an omega as powerful as you.  I mean, _wow_.  I feel...incredible—everyone here's feeling incredible.  How far is your range? If you don't mind me asking."

Smugly, Zhenya took a drink and said, "Last time I'm test, little bit over one thousand feet.  More when pissed off."

"Jesus Christ."  Zhenya definitely appreciated the flattering note of awe in Trent's tone.  "That's—wow. And you're seriously single, you're not shitting me? I thought you guys got bonded like way young when your magic was that strong."

"No, is right, I'm bonded—but friend bond, you know?  Platonic. So no problem."

"Oh seriously?  I've heard of a few bonds like that, but—huh."  Trent's head swivelled towards the table of the two alphas.  "Wait, so is one of those yours?"

"Yeah.  Sid."

"Which one is Sid?  Baldy, or the guy putting the moves on him?"

Zhenya barked a laugh.  "Not Baldy."

"Huh."  Trent gave Sid an appraising look.  "So you've never slept with him? Not even once, to try it?  He's pretty hot. And obviously into men."

Zhenya drained the rest of his beer.  "Maybe I tell you in morning."

That pulled Trent's attention back to Zhenya completely.

"Yeah?  You wanna get out of here?"

"Let's go.  My hotel is just around corner."

"And your alpha isn't gonna walk in at an awkward moment or anything?"

Impatient now, Zhenya pulled back.  Maybe he didn't want to sleep with someone so stupid.  "No, I tell you already, not like that with us. You don't believe when I'm say?"

"What?  No, I believe you!  I just meant, you guys aren't sharing a hotel room or anything?  Platonically sharing."

"Oh.  No, have separate rooms."  He paused, then conceded, "With connecting door.  We close for tonight."

Trent grinned, toothy and hungry.  "Works for me."

 

There was a lot, it turned out, that worked for Trent.

 

The next morning, ten minutes after Trent had left with an extra bounce in his step, Zhenya dragged himself out of bed to answer the knock at the adjoining door between the rooms.

It was Sid, of course, dressed in nothing but his necklace and a fluffy white bath towel, water still dripping from his cropped hair down his neck.

"Hey," Sid said, wiping at some of the droplets with a hand towel.  "So good night last night, eh?"

Zhenya frowned.  "You cut magic off so hard, right in middle of best part," he complained.

"Yeah, you're welcome, by the way.  Musta really liked this guy, huh? Been a long time since I last smelled your magic get so wild."

"I know!  You so mean, Sid.  Maybe I make whole city feel good if you not stop me."

"Yeah, first of all," Sid grinned, "no fucking way would your range ever be that far, I don't care how big his dick was.  No, stop, I _don't_ want you to tell me how big it was, that wasn't an invitation.  Second of all, one of these days you're going to remember that it's my literal job as your alpha to make sure your magic doesn't get out of hand, and that if I don't do my job we _both_ get in trouble.  So, again, you're welcome."

"Worst," Zhenya said firmly, and he pinched Sid's bare side as he pushed past into Sid's room.

"Absolutely the worst," Sid agreed happily, and turned to follow him.  He let Zhenya rummage through the nightstand unsuccessfully for a minute before he took mercy and said, "Fruit leather's still in my suitcase, if that's what you're looking for."

"Worst," Zhenya reiterated, and started digging into the case.

"We could just go grab breakfast, you know."

"Hungry now.  Get breakfast in few minutes."  He tore into a strip of fruit leather and stretched himself out on the chair by the window, crossing one foot over the other.  "You going to tell me why you keep making stupid face when you think I don't see?" Sid's face twitched, and Zhenya grinned toothily at him, smug and showy about it.  "Yes, like that. Always do when hiding something."

Sid rolled his eyes.  "I'm not hiding anything.  But there is something I want to talk to you about."

"Knew it."

"Yeah, yeah."  Sid dropped onto the bed, rolling over to grab a strip of fruit leather for himself.  "So I really wasn't hiding this," he said, neatly ripping the plastic open and taking a small bite.  "But it is something we need to discuss, and I thought it'd be best to do it at the right moment. I'm not really sure how you're going to feel about it."

Zhenya, out of fruit leather too soon, made lazy grabby hands at Sid, who obligingly grabbed another two strips from the suitcase and tossed them to him.

"Not sure how I'm going to feel, then should just ask," Zhenya said fondly.  "Don't make weird."

Sid paused, long enough that Zhenya started to realize the conversation might be a little more serious than he'd thought.

Then Sid said, "The Center wants me to temporarily bond with an omega who just went online."

"...Oh."

"Yeah."

"And...you think they want to make you do it, force you?"

"I—no, that's not… G, you know they can't make me take on any sort of bond."

"Then say what you really mean to say."

Sid's eyebrows lifted in surprise, and Zhenya just blinked impatiently at him.

"Okay.  Fair enough.   _I_ want to take on a temporary bond, with an omega who just came online, who the Center contacted me about thinking I'd be a good match for—a good temporary match.  I know the last time we talked about this you weren't okay with me temporarily bonding with another omega, and if you still feel that way, that's fine, I won't do it.  But it's been six years since then, so I thought it was worth checking with you before I just turned them down outright. Just in case your feelings on the subject have changed."

Zhenya's feelings on the subject had absolutely not changed: there was still that immediate, gut-clench throat-tight feeling of _no_ at the thought of another omega getting Sid's bond in them, however temporarily.  But it seemed like six years was plenty of time for other feelings to get in there too, because everything in his head was a lot more muddy than he remembered it being the last time they'd had this conversation.

"Tell me about omega," he said to buy time.

Sid started idly rubbing his palm with his opposite thumb, thoughtful and measured.  "Her name's Amelia. She's twenty. Her magic came online a week ago, and it's definitely—strong.  Not as strong as yours, but strong enough she's going to be required to bond within a month. She didn't already have an alpha picked out, because she didn't expect her magic would be quite so loud, so she'll have to wait until the Center can find a good match."  He paused. "She's already started two riots on accident with her fear outlashes."

Zhenya felt a pang of sympathy.  As much as people loved basking in o-glow, no one easily forgot what it felt like to get caught in an outlash, when an omega's magic turned harsh and painful and grinding with their fear or pain or anger.  Zhenya hadn't caused a true outlash since his first year of bonding with Sid, but he still remembered the guilt of it. If this Amelia's outlashes were anything like his had been when he'd first come online, he didn't envy her one bit.

"She needs help," he said at last.

"Yeah, she does.  But it doesn't have to be from me."

"But you want to."

"I want you to be comfortable more than I want to be the one to help her.  The Center has other temporary alphas they can ask."

Zhenya nodded.  "Okay. I think about, tell you answer tomorrow.  For now let's go get breakfast."

Sid smiled.  "Yeah. Breakfast sounds good."

 

Sid bonded with Amelia Hall the day after they got back to Pittsburgh.  Zhenya still didn't like it, but it was the decision he had wanted to make, so he'd told Sid yes.

His own bond with Sid didn't feel any different, now that Sid was in someone else's soul too.  He could still close his eyes and feel Sid's heartbeat somewhere inside him, somewhere that didn't have a physical place.  There was no interference when his magic liked to beat along in time with it, a song that was a little bit Zhenya and a little bit Sid and a little bit the world.

On Sid's end, he didn't seem to have any more difficulty than usual when he needed to cut off Zhenya's magic—usually in the middle of a game, when Zhenya got a little too heated for someone who could take the whole arena down with him when he lost his temper.

"Is hard for you, having two bonds?" Zhenya asked one day when they were grabbing lunch after practice.

Sid took a pull from the water bottle he'd brought into the restaurant with him.  "It's not too bad. I mean, I can see why no one ever takes multiple bonds on long-term, it takes a bit of concentration sometimes, but for a few weeks, it's not so bad."

"You don't get smells confused?  Not sure if smelling my magic or Amelia's?"

Sid laughed.  "No."

When it appeared Sid wasn't going to elaborate any, Zhenya nudged him under the table.

"What?  Oh—no, omegas tend to smell pretty distinctive.  And even if not, I've been carrying your smell around in my nose for ten years, Geno.  No way I'd ever confuse yours for anyone else's. It's too...you." Sid took a bite of sandwich and started chewing.  "It's a little weird cutting off her magic from a distance, though. I mean, I know that's the whole point of being bonded, so I'm tuned into her magic even when she's in a different city.  But you and I, we're around each other so much, I just got used to usually being in the same room or the same house when I need to cut yours off. With her it's like—oh, smells like she's getting pissed off right now, smells like it's getting pretty strong, better cut that off before it turns into an outlash.  But I've got no clue _what's_ pissing her off, you know?  She'll usually text me afterwards to say thank you, but she doesn't say what she was doing."

"Hm.  Weird."

"Yeah.  Still, I'm really glad we're doing this.  I feel like we're doing some good."

"You're doing good—I'm not do anything important."

Sid just hummed and took another bite of sandwich.

 

Zhenya had always known Sid was a strong alpha.  He'd been strong at 18, with an ironclad will and sense of self, or else they'd never have allowed him to bond with someone of Zhenya's power.  He'd only gotten stronger since then.

It wasn't like Zhenya could forget any of that—he knew he was an unusually powerful omega, and every time Sid cut his magic off he could feel how easily and how completely he could do it.

Zhenya also knew that, however strong Sid was, taking on two omega bonds at once, even if one was temporary, was not as easy as he tried to make it seem.  So he kept a close eye on him for the weeks he was to be bonded with Amelia before they found her a permanent alpha. When he let himself think about it a little too long, he could admit a tiny part of it was because he was open to feeling vindicated—that if Amelia's bond proved to be too big a strain on Sid, Zhenya would be allowed to feel smug and justified for telling Sid no before when he had wanted to take on a temporary bond.

Mostly, it was honestly just that he cared about Sid and didn't want to see him overextend himself.  Mostly.

But if Sid was feeling any strain, he never showed any sign of it.  He even went on a respectable scoring streak for a handful of games, seeming to thrive on the extra challenge in typical Sid fashion.  Zhenya was relieved. Mostly.

 

Four weeks and one day after the temporary bond was formed, Amelia came back to Pittsburgh to have it broken.

"Looks like they found her a pretty good match," Sid reported while they were gearing up for a game the night before Amelia was to arrive.  "I think the woman they found even lives in Amelia's city, which is a good starting point. They'll be able to figure something out. Amelia seems to really like her—pretty smitten, honestly, going by the number of times I've had to cut off her aroused magic lately."

"Awkward."

Sid laughed.  "Yeah."

"How old is alpha?"

"Twenty-nine."  Sid shrugged into his shoulder pads.  "Pretty respectable match, everything considered."

"Hm."

"Do you want to meet Amelia tomorrow?  You didn't get to when she flew in last time."

Zhenya shoved his jersey over his head to avoid meeting Sid's eyes.

"Sure," he said when he emerged, hair fluffed.  "Be nice to meet. Alpha coming too?"

"Nah, I think she had a work thing.  They're bonding at the Center in Philadelphia as soon as Amelia gets back.  So you want to grab lunch with Amelia and me tomorrow then?"

"Sound like fun," Zhenya said dutifully.

 

Amelia was actually a pretty okay person, as much as Zhenya had been prepared to not like her.  She didn't know anything about hockey, didn't even seem to fully grasp just how famous her temporary alpha actually was, but she was bright and vivacious and flatteringly in awe of Zhenya's magic, which was only a few decibels stronger than her own.

"It's so vibrant though!" she said.  "My songs are still really...dull and one-note.  You know?"

She was studying marine biology and _very_ passionate about it, which gave them plenty to talk about.  By the time they were halfway through her soup and his pasta, their magic was mingling and playing happily off each other.  Sid said little, but Zhenya knew he was amused. He allowed it, figuring Sid was owed a little indulgence.

By the time they left, the whole street seemed to be walking with an extra skip in their step and twinkle in their eye.  It wasn't often Zhenya spent time with an omega whose magic his own didn't completely overpower, and he always forgot how much he enjoyed the interplay and harmonizing.

"Thank you, by the way," Amelia said after the bond had been cut and they were dropping her back off at the airport.  "I never got to properly thank you for sharing your alpha. It meant the world to have someone so—solid, you know? I'd heard that temp alphas, especially when they were in a different city, couldn't always stop outlashes, they just helped make them less intense.  But I totally felt like I could've thrown anything whatsoever at Sidney and it wouldn't have even phased him. That was—huge."

Zhenya smiled.  "Sid pretty hard to knock over," he agreed.

"It's my low center of gravity," Sid said, straight-faced.

It wasn't the first time Zhenya had been struck by the impulse to kiss Sid.  It wasn't even the first time the impulse had come simply because Sid was a huge-ass dork and sometimes kisses seemed the best solution to the problem.  It was, however, the first time the impulse to kiss Sid felt terrifyingly stronger than all the reasons why they didn't kiss each other.

Amelia laughed, oblivious.  "Low center of gravity? Say what you mean: it's the ass."

Sid winked.  "Take care, Amelia."

"You guys too.  And thanks again, a million."

"Yeah, of course."

"Yeah.  Bye," Zhenya croaked.

 

Zhenya made the mistake of trying to talk to Sid about the kissing thing on the drive home.  Sid laughed, trying too hard to sound casual.

"What?  You know why we don't kiss or any of that stuff, G.  I don't really think I gotta explain this, right?"

"Why?  Maybe do need to explain," Zhenya argued.  "I want you. Pretty sure you want me."

"I know we're sexually attracted to each other," Sid said in the calm, borderline patronizing tone of voice Zhenya hated.  "But you're not romantically attracted to me."

"You just decide this?  I don't get say?"

Sid's hand tightened and loosened on the steering wheel.  "Geno, it was obvious when I met you that you wanted to fuck, but dating would have fucked everything up for us.  That's not what we are.  You like being free."

"When I'm nineteen, yeah, maybe I'm like being free.  But that ten years ago, Sid! I don't get to change my mind?  We don't get chance for decide again?"

"Apparently not," Sid said, tight and stubborn and self-sure.  "I don't think there's anything to discuss here."

"Fuck you," Zhenya spit, mad enough to feel ill, his magic souring the air around them with uneasy dissonance.  Sid gave a pointed sniff but let his magic be, not close enough to an outlash to interfere, apparently.  And nothing else was said for the remainder of the drive.

 

"I'm not done talk about this," Zhenya said as he followed Sid to his kitchen on his half of the house, deliberately pushing into Sid's territory.  He'd marshalled his thoughts and knew he wasn't going to let Sid get away with pushing him off.  Sid didn't know best this time.  Zhenya's magic vibrated with purpose and determination, filling the room while leaving Sid untouched.  Sid, stone-faced, started methodically shoving dishes into the dishwasher and pretending Zhenya wasn't talking. "You say before, _I'm_ not romantic attracted to you.  Bullshit, you know, you don't get to decide for me.  But you say when we bond, I'm want to be free.  This mean you were attracted to me that way?  Romantic?  When we bond?"

Sid gave him a flat look.  "No."

Zhenya took the blunt answer in stride.  "What about now?"

"None of this matters, eh?  We're friends. We're teammates.  We're _bondmates._  Let's not fuck that up just for sex, okay?"

"I'm not talk about sex!"

"It's pretty obvious you are.  God, G, I shouldn't have to— Don't make me spell this out, okay?"  Sid slammed the dishwasher shut, only a third full, and turned to face him.  "It's going to make us both feel stupid."

"Not my fault if you feel stupid.  But sound like you're already think I'm stupid."

"I don't think you're stupid!  But you're too old to be forgetting like this that wanting to fuck me is not the same thing as wanting to be with me in a...in a romantic relationship!"

"I know this!  You think I can't tell difference, think I don't know own feelings?  I'm fucking omega, Sid!"  Immediately, the growing crescendo of Zhenya's magic, all his passion and investment and want, a full-heart music he felt in his bones, was cut off to nothing—complete stillness, complete silence.  "Sid!  What the fuck?"

"You were building to an outlash!  The fuck was I supposed to do?"

"Not outlash!  It was _me_ , listen to it!"

Sid released all his breath and looked away, all the fight dropping from him in an instant.  Despite himself, Zhenya felt his own slipping away too.

"I don't even know what this argument is about anymore, G.  You know I can't listen to it. I don't even really know what that means.  I can tell you're upset, but it's just a smell to me—I don't know how to listen or feel it the way I guess you want. If it really wasn't going to be an outlash, I'm sorry.  I honestly thought it was. I wasn't trying to overcontrol you or anything. I was just—trying to do my job."

Zhenya rubbed at his face.  "Was maybe going to be little bit outlash.  But Sid, I'm not—this not about magic.  I know you're alpha, don't need to be other.  That just...easy way to be mad.  Listen to me right now, okay. My words."

"I'm listening," Sid said, looking at the wall.

"You want to fuck me?"

Sid pinched the bridge of his nose, squinching his eyes.  "God.  I guess we're doing this.  Sometimes I want to, yeah."

"You want to kiss me?"

"Sometimes."

"Because I'm cute?"

That got Sid to look at him, even if it was to give him an amused, indulgent look.

"Because you're very cute, G."

"You only want to kiss me because cute, or other times too?  You sometimes want to kiss me because I'm stupid? Because I'm big dork and sometimes I do stupid cute thing that make you want to kiss?"

Sid's expression was not so amused or indulgent now.

"Where is this going?"

"Because I want that.  Want to kiss you because you huge fucking nerd, so embarrass to be around, because you stupid and cute and _Sid_.  And that doesn't sound like just sex thing to me."

"Geno…"

"So do you really not want?  Or do you just think I'm not want?"  He tried to hold Sid's gaze, but Sid's focus was turned inwards, his eyes distant.  "Know what I want, Sid.  Like you say, too old now not to know difference between want your dick and want your..."  He swallowed.  "And want your heart."

Sid's eyes flicked to his and held.

"So you need to tell me," Zhenya said, "if this something you're want too."

"It's risky."  Sid's voice was more neutral than Zhenya expected.

"Not what I'm ask."

"We have a lifetime of friendship on the line.  Careers.  A  _bond_."

"I know."

"We might not actually want that sort of relationship with each other, once we have it."

"So we figure out from there.  Been through a lot together, can do this too."

"A platonic bond works for us."

"And maybe romantic work too, now.  Don't know until try."

Sid's lips twitched.  "You could be really terrible at sex."

" _Sid_."

"Yeah.  I know.  I do want, okay?  I want you that way. I have for...a while."

"So we try.  See if like. Worst that can happen, not so bad."

Sid's face grew as serious as Zhenya had ever seen it before any Stanley Cup Final.

"Geno.  Look.  I'm responsible for you, okay?  I'm your alpha.  I get to be the one to take care of you, even though I was way too young when we bonded, even though you deserve the best alpha in the world to safeguard your magic.  That's not a responsibility that I can take lightly—I don't have that in me.  I can't fuck this bond up for you. It's too important."

Zhenya's whole chest loosened.  It was stupid how much he adored this man, with his squared shoulders and earnest eyes and enough determination and will that he'd set the world on fire if he had a spark of magic.

He reached out and took Sid's hand.  "You trust me on ice to have back, score lots of goals?"

"Of course."

"What about in locker room?  Trust me for good alternate?"

"Always."

"So trust me here too.  I think this worth trying for.  And if it not work, I think we still be okay."

Sid's eyes searched his, all his focus, all his will directed straight at Zhenya.  Zhenya didn't want to be anywhere else in the world.

"Fuck," Sid said at long last.  "Okay. Okay.  Let's fucking try."

Zhenya broke into a grin, absolutely helpless to stop it.  "Yeah?"

"Yeah."  Sid squeezed his hand, expression fond and determined.  "Maybe this'll be terrible.  But I think you're right.  I think we can figure this out, together."

"I'm always right, you should listen more.  Let's talk about your jock."

"Let's talk about your slashing penalty last night."

"Let's talk about  _your_ slash penalty last night."

"Yeah?  Let's talk about your fucking _mouth_ _—_ "

 

When Sid let Zhenya's power loose, mid-kiss, half of Pittsburgh felt the sweeping rush of song and magic.


End file.
